MS. MYERS: There will be two briefings in the next hour
or so. First, Ambassador Albright is here. She will introduce Prime
Minister Charles of Dominica and Prime Minister Bird of Antigua, who
will talk about the meeting today. And then we'll take a little
break and then Sandy Berger and Ambassador Gray will come back and
give a readout from today's meeting and take any other questions you
might have more broadly about what's happening today.

So without any further ado, Ambassador Albright.

AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT: Thank you. Let me say, I have
just come from the East Room, and there's no question that what we
saw in there was the clearest indication of the backing by the
international community of this very important mission of upholding
democracy in Haiti.

We heard President Aristide, who gave a very moving
address in which he stressed the importance of reconciliation. It
is, I think, really very gratifying and moving to see so many nations
-- 24 nations -- represented, as they dedicate their people with ours
to helping to restore democracy.

So let me now introduce the Prime Ministers of two
countries that are contributors to the multinational force, who are
part of the building momentum of the international community. Prime
Minister Charles of Dominica, maybe you would like to begin by giving
us your impressions and thoughts.

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: I was very pleased in this
meeting to hear some of the plans we made. But I was particularly
interested in the speech that President Aristide made. And he was so
strong on the point that democracy must be restored, but there must
be peace brought to the country, and understanding among all the
various sectors of the community in Haiti because reconciliation was
his main word used. He was very interested in making sure that after
democracy is restored and the rightful government is put in place,
that, in fact, the people of the country should be reconciled and
understand it is their duty to build the country.

Of course, there will be help from other people for that
building. But the main thrust will have to come from the Haitians
themselves, and from the government that they have already chosen and
not been allowed to have do the work for them that they were selected
to do. We, of course, in the Caribbean are very interested in
supporting Haiti and a rightful government in Haiti because we
consider Haiti part of the Caribbean. And we also feel that we,
certainly, in the English-speaking Caribbean have had a very long
tradition of democracy -- longer perhaps than your country has had.
And I think it's important to realize that we know what democracy is.
We're determined that we should retain democracy in our part of the
world. And we are satisfied that we are good examples of what the
democratic way of life is.

Just recently, we had an election in Barbados -- a
controversial election, but there wasn't a single incident throughout
the whole time. How many of your countries can say the same thing?
And I think it's very important to realize, as small as we are, poor
as we are and population so little, that we do stand for all the good
things that the world wants in the countries. And we believe that we
must assist the Haitians to regain the democracy.

We must assist them after they have regained it to hold
it, nurture it and to make it strong and viable so the people of
Haiti can enjoy the lives that all of us enjoy. And to use a phrase
that was really telling that President Aristide used: "to move from
misery to poverty, but with dignity."

PRIME MINISTER BIRD: Thank you very much. I'll be very
brief. Ten years ago, the countries of the Eastern Caribbean
conjoined with your country -- the United States -- to go into
Grenada. The real fundamental issue for us was that we decided that
violence must not be a methodology of changing governments in the
Caribbean. And consequently, we cannot accept that Cedras and the
junta have the right to retain power, when a truly democratic
government was elected by the people 70 percent in favor of JeanBertrand
Aristide.

Consequently, we are here to give full support to the
international community in demonstrating that as far as Antigua and
Barbados is concerned, democracy is fundamental and important to the
stability of the Caribbean and the Western Hemisphere.

We had a very excellent meeting today, and we are
satisfied that all those of us who are participating in this
understand the gravamen of what this means, and we are prepared to do
as much as we can within our limited resources to assist this effort.

Q Prime Minister Charles, could we ask you because
many of us remember you from 10 years ago with the Grenada invasion
--

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES : Yes, 10 years less one month
-- the same situation.

Q Former President Bush said today, and other
Republicans have been very critical of this, in saying that this has
no relationship, no parallel to Grenada; that the national interests
of the United States and of the region is not involved.

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: We are not even sure your
national interest was involved in Grenada. (Laughter.) And I'm
never quite sure what the American national interest is, quite
frankly.

Q We're not here, either. (Laughter.)

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: I know what our national
interest is, and I think we want peace and democracy in our area.
And I would hope the United States would feel it was not so far
distant from our area; that in fact, they share some of the same seas
we share, and therefore, they should have some of the concerns that
we have. We don't always feel that you have them. But we are glad
when you do realize that you have some concerns that we share, too.

Q Did President Clinton talk to you in the meeting
about any last-ditch efforts that were being made to try to get
General Cedras and the other military dictators to step aside without
violence?

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: I think that they will never
cease to do this. They will continue always trying to see if they
will leave peacefully.

Q But specifically, did they tell you, and could you
share with us, what is now being done on that score?

Q Pr ime Minister Charles, you mentioned that your
country is poor, and a number of those countries are poor. What
assurances have you been given from the United States that --

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: None at all. There are not
great promises. None at all.

Q Was there any reimbursement for your expenses?

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: None at all. There are not
great promises in this country. We have learned to live without your
promises. (Laughter.) And yet, we are loyal to the fact that we
share some of the same things, and we should have some of the same
interests. But you're not great promisers. You don't put your hand
out too far, too long, too often.

Q So, you expect to pay money for this, that this
will cost your country.

PRIME MINISTER CHARLES: It will cost -- some of it we
can afford. But it's assisting another Caribbean country.

Q Ambassador Albright, could we ask you a question or
two?

AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT: Sure.

Q Thank you. Defense Secretary Perry just said that
the U.S. is in contact, through some sort of intermediary, with
Lieutenant General Cedras to try to resolve this peacefully, to work
out their departure from Haiti -- the three Haitian coup leaders --in
a peaceful manner. Could you give us some details on how this
diplomatic negotiation or discussion is going on?

AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT: General Cedras and his people know
that we are making every conceivable effort for them to leave
peacefully. And I think they know the details. We are doing
everything we can to make sure that they have the opportunity to
depart, and for them to read loud and clear President Clinton's
message that it is time for them to go now.

I do think that it is very clear that we do have a
national interest. And what Prime Minister Charles said in terms of
the national interest of her country to preserve democracy in the
Caribbean is also a national interest of the United States, as
President Clinton stated last night.